Brief

1st Grade Care, a Cardiff-based care provider with an inspiring origin story rooted in compassion and community, approached Freshwater to help elevate its brand as the company entered a new phase of growth. Our task was to create a full suite of brand assets that reflected the warmth, professionalism and personal touch that underpin the company’s ethos. This included a new logo, brand guidelines, roller banners, brochures and a comprehensive staff handbook.

Challenge

The challenge was to capture the emotional depth and authenticity of 1st Grade Care’s story while ensuring that all materials were functional, clear and compliant for use within the highly regulated care sector. It was important to strike the right balance between professional branding and a tone of voice that celebrated the real people behind the care – including both service users and staff.

One of the most significant creative challenges lay in designing a new staff handbook that would not only communicate policies and procedures but would do so in an engaging, accessible and motivating way. The tone needed to reflect the organisation’s personality while supporting recruitment, onboarding and retention.

Results

Freshwater delivered a cohesive suite of high-quality assets that brought the 1st Grade Care brand to life – both visually and narratively.

Our work included:

• A bold, modern logo and full visual identity

• Brand guidelines to ensure consistency across channels

• A suite of roller banners used for events and recruitment

• A print-ready company brochure

• A fully designed and copy-edited staff handbook

The staff handbook was particularly well-received – described by the client as “the best designed document we’ve ever had.” It combines functional information with heart and humour, embodying the company’s values and commitment to staff wellbeing.

Together, these assets have helped 1st Grade Care present a polished, consistent brand that mirrors its mission to provide person-centred care with warmth, respect and humanity.